Things That Happen In China

Well as this is a new semester, and I've been in China for a good five or so months, my life is feeling more like routine and less like a new adventure, so sometimes I forget to post. But I am still having experiences, and it's been too long since I've shared them with you all, so here goes:

My research project is about tourism in hutongs, traditional alleyways in the center of Beijing. Many of these guys have been demolished for development, while others have been developed into commercial tourism streets. I think this is interesting because on the one hand, people are sad hutongs are disappearing, and on the other hand, one of the only ways to preserve them, tourism, is drastically changing them. So I spent last semester interviewing people who live in the hutongs about how they feel about this phenomenon, and this semester I am interviewing people in the tourism business about their attitudes toward it. So lately I've talked to a guy who designs nifty Beijing T-shirts, a hostel owner, and a coffeeshop owner.

Hmmmm what else--there was a huge fire in an unfinished hotel due to extreme fireworks set off by the hotel company next to the hotel. I got to watch it because it was only ten minutes from my dorm. It was really frightening to see that many flames in one place--maybe 40 stories of disaster. There were hundreds of people watching. Kind of creepy. As far as I can tell 6-7 people were hurt and maybe 1 person died.

I really have no idea how to speak English anymore.

I am taking a cooking class once a week, so when I come home I can make you all delicious Chinese delicacies.